1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data processing, and in particular to a computer implemented method and apparatus for refactoring methods within applications. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for automatically refactoring critical methods out of applications and moving them to servers based on critical ratings.
2. Description of the Related Art
Application programs are used to perform work, functions, and tasks on computing devices. All application programs are not created equal; some applications may be used for critical tasks while other applications may be for non-critical or superfluous tasks. For example, applications that perform transactions or communications between servers may be considered critical because the application is crucial to a businesses success or failure. For instance, an application that polls the Internet for entertainment news may be considered non-critical because the application may not be critical to a user or dependent business. Accordingly, each application may be assigned a rating or priority that designates the importance of the application to a user or other device. In some systems, each application may be processed and executed based on a designated rating.
In addition, applications are often composed of a wide array of methods. Each method may have a rating based on the method's importance to the success of the application. Although the rating of the method may vary drastically, the application itself may only have one rating. As a result, most data processing systems execute applications and methods based on the rating of the applications regardless of the rating of each method within the applications. As a result, critical methods within an application with a higher rating may be unduly delayed or postponed based on the lower rating of the application.